A Thousand Splendid Suns

By: Khaled Hosseini

Narrated by: Atossa Leoni

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once an incredible chronicle of 30 years of Afghanistan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love.

Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss, and by fate. As they endure the ever-escalating dangers around them, in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul, they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman's love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival.

A stunning accomplishment, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a haunting, heartbreaking, compelling story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love.

©2007 TKR Publications, LLC. All rights reserved (P)2007 Simon and Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Another searing epic....[Hosseini's] tale is a powerful, harrowing depiction of Afghanistan, but also a lyrical evocation of the lives and enduring hopes of its resilient characters." (Publishers Weekly)
"Unimaginably tragic, Hosseini's magnificent second novel is a sad and beautiful testament to both Afghani suffering and strength. Readers who lost themselves in The Kite Runner will not want to miss this unforgettable follow up." (Booklist)

Absolutely Divine

If you're on the fence about getting this book, don't waste time reading my drivel and buy it! And The Kite Runner! If you're on the fence about audiobook vs. paperback, get the paperback first.
A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner are among the best books I have read, and I read (and listen to audiobooks) A LOT! I got the books many years ago and I couldn't read them before bedtime or in public because of all the feels!!! I recently got the audiobooks and I loved them, but there's a caveat. While the narrator is excellent, having only one female voice took something away from the book.I wish there were more narrators; one for Mariam, one for Layla, and a male narrator for the male characters. I would pay more for that audiobook - in case anyone would like to take on the project!

A Thousand Splendid Suns won’t disappoint

This is the second book I read from Khaled Hosseini after the Kite Runner. I thought it wouldn’t get any better…but it does. The story, the characters are very well portrayed and the story of Afghanistan is ever so haunting. I recommend this book to anyone who want to listen to an amazing story and a sense of life in Afghanistan.

Just amazing

This book is an absolute must listen to! I can imagine that reading the book and print be much more difficult with the names, locations, and other Afghanistan language and lingo. However, listening to it was an absolute joy just like the first book by this author. It is historical fiction at its best!

Most beautiful book I’ve ever read

This is my third time reading this book, and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be in my heart forever. The story itself is rich, compelling, and emotionally captivating - and the way it’s told is even more powerful. The narrative style is so remarkably visual and immersive, it’s like watching a movie. The characters are multi-dimensional, beautiful, truly human. This was my first time reading this as an audio book, and I loved the experience - I listened during a long flight and got completely wrapped up in the book. At multiple points I was weeping quietly in my seat and had to pause to collect myself. This is a book that takes you through every emotion, that evokes love and pain and admiration and despair. I could not recommend it enough.

Read this book!!!!

A poignant story of the life of two women and their family in the Middle East.

I’m an English Creative Writing minor, who loves books and literature as a way of life. Frequently, especially younger people will ask me why I love reading, and I always have the same response back- I love literature because it is the most distilled reality of the human emotional condition. That is to say that the best pieces we read, if we’re lucky, will teach us something deep about the universe. The best literature informs us as the readers of an previously untold narrative, and in that, expands our minds.

This book is beautiful and sad, and so real. ....

It is hard not to feel for the characters, they are so real too real sometimes.

Amazing Historical Account

What a beautiful transport into recent history. This is an utterly sad, yet absolutely inspiring story from a perspective across the world from me. I was able to imagine every setting. this will go down as one of my favorites to listen to.

Reflection

Reflection of your own choices , and reflection of understanding your parents choices. Definitely one of the saddest stories even sadder by knowing how many lives are lived like this in the Middle East I hope that in my lifetime I’ll see real freedom brought to those countries.

Amazing

Wish I could wipe it from my brain so I could listen to it again like it's the first time. So powerful

Review for A Thousand Splendid Suns

Beautiful story! Worth listening till the very end. The narrator eloquates perfectly and in the accurate Afghani pronunciation of the words this book so required.